Accounting and Auditing Update (E1705319)

Margaret (“Peggy”) Gallagher, CPA, is in the Technical Resources department at WithumSmith+Brown’s Morristown office. Ms. Gallagher focuses her work on interpreting and applying technical accounting and auditing standards, and independence matters. With more than 25 years of accounting and auditing experience, her industry expertise includes manufacturing, distribution, construction, life sciences, real estate, non-profits and employee benefit plans. A frequent lecturer, she develops and presents accounting and auditing education classes for statewide audiences.

Ms. Gallagher is a member of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) and serves on the NJCPA Accounting and Auditing Interest Group. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and a board member of Student/Partner -Alliance, Millburn, NJ. Ms. Gallagher received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Fairfield University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She was awarded the 2013 NJ BIZ Best 50 Women in Business Award.

Michele Harlan, CPA, MBA is a principal at HBK in Princeton. Michele started her career in public accounting in 2003. She spent the majority of her career in the audit practice at Ernst and Young before joining the Lawrenceville office of HBK in 2013. Since joining HBK, she has grown and expanded the depth of the NJ audit and assurance practice. She works with clients in a variety of industries and enjoys teaching the associate level training classes at the firm.

Michele has extensive experience in applying GAAP accounting to clients ranging from small and medium sized private entities to not for profit organizations, as well as large international public enterprises. She is well versed in the requirements of SEC public filings including S1 Registration statements, annual 10K filings, and quarterly 10Q filings. She also has extensive experience auditing and reviewing all types of entities including privately held companies. Additionally, she has played many roles in due diligence activities, including issuing carve out financial statements for spin-off transactions, applying purchase accounting to acquisition deals, and developing working capital calculations.

Michele is licensed to practice as a Certified Public Accountant in both New Jersey and New York and is a member of the AICPA and the NJCPA. She earned her BS in accounting from Villanova University and her MBA from Columbia Business School.